Post navigation

Restoring the Keeper of the Light

Saturday when I attended the Pike River Rendezvous the Kenosha History Center was having a fund raiser for the restoration of the Simmons Island lighthouse. I made a donation and toured the keeper’s house as well as a bit of the lighthouse. The house is completely restored downstairs. Upstairs is in process with one room is complete.

I didn’t go all the way up in the lighthouse. The deck up there was closed so there’s not much to see at the top. It was extremely hot so I just went up part way and enjoyed the wonderful wrought iron stairs in there. Why don’t we make every day things beautiful any more? Like stairs and warehouses?

The lighthouse and the keeper’s house were built by the federal government in 1866. It is 74 feet above lake level. The light only operated for 40 years but light keepers lived in the house until the 1940s. There are other harbor lights they tended and posted weather warning flags on this lighthouse. It is being currently being renovated. It’s funded by donations and grants. It was placed on the National Register of Historic places in 1990.

Thanks again. Yes when I learning photography I was warned “You’ll have to be willing to get in positions for the right angle, even stick you butt out in public for it.” So I have no shame, no shame at all. I’ll observe the rule of the place to the letter but I’ll contort to get the angle.

It was a great thing. I’d wanted to go in there for years. However it’s just recently they have been able to open it with the restoration completed downstairs. On a cooler day when it’s open and the deck restored I’ll climb to the top of the lighthouse.